


Friend or foe?

by 2018ChloeGoulD



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 08:07:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2018ChloeGoulD/pseuds/2018ChloeGoulD
Summary: Murphy gets drunk and offloads his past onto someone in Sanctum.Will he help? Or will he run?
Relationships: Murphy and Zev
Kudos: 4





	1. Not what he expects

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short fic. 
> 
> Murphy needs to talk to someone - fairly certain he has some form of PSTD.

Zev knows the imposter is not his beloved. He’s not his Daniel. It hurts him that this man is walking round giving orders in his name. Though he admits… it’s keeping the peace.  
Shaking off the thought, he walks round camp, looking for him. He knows he needs proof that he and the girl are pretending to be Daniel and Kaylee. 

The sun is setting, and the people are quite calm. Surprising as the Believers of Primes have managed to delay Russell’s execution by three days. That’s how long he has to get what he needs… to burn the pretenders and save the Leader.

After what seems forever, he finds him. Alone. On the balcony of the bar, drinking straight from the bottle. He notes the empty bottle at his feet.

“Not had enough?”

The man doesn’t even move, though he grunts is response.

Zev steps forward, and takes a seat next to him, quickly switching on the recording device in his pocket.

“I know you’re not Daniel Prime… when I kissed you, you did not recognise me… did you?” he holds his breath.

“No, you’re right. I’m not Daniel.” He says it without emotion, Zev lets out a huff.

“Then who are you?”

The man sighs and turns to him, looking Zev straight in the eyes.

“My name is Jonathan Alexander Murphy. But I prefer Murphy.”

Zev looks quite shocked. He hadn’t expected this. Why was he telling him this he wonders.

“You’re… actually confessing? You’re imitating a Prime?”

“To keep peace. You can see we are all hanging on a thread here. Sanctum is barely holding it together.”

Zev nods, a little nervous. 

Murphy suddenly drops the glass bottle from his hand, he looks down at the shattered pieces and winces. “Damn… wasn’t done with that.” 

He looks back up at Zev. Zev looks into his eyes, but observes his face. He looks tired.

“Are you okay?” Zev asks, a little concerned.

“Walking on sunshine…” Murphy trails off, turning away and leaning back into the chair.

Zev sighs and closes his eyes. He knows he has what he needs, get out of there! The voice rages in his head. 

He opens his eyes and looks at Murphy. 

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t report you and your crime to the People of Sanctum.”

Murphy sighs. 

“You should… but report me. Leave Emori, sorry Kaylee out of it. You want someone to hate, then hate me.”

Zev looks confused. “Why? Why should you be hated?”

“Because I’m a selfish jerk who only cares for himself.”

“Yet you just asked me to spare you’re friend…”

Murphy sighs again. 

“I lost everything when I was nine years old.”

Zev looks confused again. “Excuse me?” 

Murphy sucks in a shaky breath, then turns his head towards Zev.

“I’ll tell you the short version of my life… you then decide what to do. Either report me, or keep up the charade. Okay?”

Zev nods. 

“Right or wrong, you decide. I’ll start at the beginning.”


	2. Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone in the 100 has been through the wars... 
> 
> Mentions of Murphy's trauma's.

“Where I’m originally from, The Ark… A couple was only allowed one child… because it was in space.” Before Zev can ask anything, Murphy continues. “For nine years, I was so happy. My mum and dad were amazing. Mum was Caroline, dad was Alex. When I was nine, I got the flu, badly.” His lip quivers, so Zev reaches over to touch his hand. He offers a small smile.

“On the Ark, if you were over the age of 18 and committed a crime, you were floated.

Zev looks confused.

“Executed.”

Zev looks shocked but nods. He removes his hand from Murphy’s.

“When I got sick, dad stole some meds to help me but he got caught… and, he, was…” He sighs sadly.

“He was floated?” Zev asks.

“Yeah.” Murphy nods to himself. “The day I got out of Med Bay, I went home. I went to be hugged by my mother. I went to be consoled… Instead I got smacked round the head with a glass jar…” 

Tears fill his eyes.

“She told me it was my fault… And it was… so was hers.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“For 4 years, all she did was drink. Drink and punish me for what I did.”

“You didn’t ask to get sick. You didn’t ask him to do what he did.”

Murphy shrugs.

“Doesn’t matter. He died… for me. And she died because of me… Drank herself stupid then chocked on her own vomit…” Tears fall from his eyes. “And I let her.”

Zev looks horrified. 

Murphy wipes his face. “Last thing she said, was I killed my dad. I heard it so many times over the years… I snapped. Anyway, after she died, I decided I couldn’t be on my own… so I decided to get myself sent to Lockup.”

“How?”

“Set the Guard who arrested and floated my dad’s quarters on fire.” He smiles. “Good times.”

“And then?”

“Went to lock up from the age of 13 to 17. Least there I was fed regularly.” He looks off into the distance again, Zev coughs.

“Sorry, right, yeah… Long story short, 100 kids were sent to the ground. I was an ass and I won’t bore you with the details but my problems got worse.”

“How so?”

“Well lets see, to date I have been:  
• Punched  
• Kicked  
• Hanged  
• Banished  
• Tortured  
• Had my finger nails ripped out  
• Been poisoned  
• Been stabbed  
• Been blamed for shit other people did  
• Let astray by a psycho named Jaha  
• Got locked up in isolation for three months and went a bit crazy  
• Been whipped  
• Been chained up  
• Forced to have sex against my will  
• Been electrocuted  
• Been shot  
• Been drowned  
“Hell, I’ve died!!” He laughs bitterly.  
“And knocked out more times than I can count… and that’s just off the top of my head.” He smiles now, clearly the alcohol is effecting him more than he thought.

Zev looks at him in complete awe. How can someone have endured so much he thinks? 

“I’ve hurt people. I've killed people. I’ve got people killed yet now, to keep my people from being killed, I have to pretend to be someone else… someone I don’t know anything about… want to help me?”

Zev looks conflicted. 

“We can talk in the morning… you need sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open.”

Yawns. “Okay then.” He drifts off.

Zev sighs and pulls out the recorder, pressing stop. 

He removes his coat and places it over Murphy. 

He sighs to himself and mutters. “This is more complicated than I thought…”


	3. Friend or Foe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will Zev do with the information he has?

Zev listens to the recording over and over through the night. He can end this now. He has proof. He could even plead for mercy for Murphy based on what he has.

He finds him still asleep where he left him the night before. 

“You awake?”

Murphy opens his eyes slowly, and groans.

“My head!” He pushes himself up. 

Zev nods, hiding a small smile. “You did drink quite a bit last night.”

Murphy nods and rubs his eyes. “We talk?”

“Yeah… you told me your name’s Murphy and you’ve been tortured repeatedly.”

Murphy looks up at him horrified. “I , uh…” He’s lost for words.

Zev smiles. “It’s okay. You also told me why you’re pretending to be Daniel – to protect you’re people, right?”

Murphy nods. 

“I’m surprised you told me the truth so quickly.”

Murphy shrugs. “I guess it was just easier to talk to someone who didn’t know me.”

Zev nods.

“You told me about your dad and mom… what happened after that?” Zev switches the recorder on in his pocket, Murphy doesn’t notice.

“You sure you want to know? No going back…”

Zev nods.

[Murphy tells him everything… being hanged, Charlotte, being banished and everything after that. Zev listens in absolute astonishment, not interrupting as the story continues] 

“And that led me to now… getting the immortality I craved, which cost me the woman who I loved like a mother, and the respect of some great people.” He looks down sadly, then back up to Zev.

“So the choice is yours… You going to play the recording to Sanctum? Or keep my secrets?”

Zev smiles, he likes him. Of course he figured about the recorder. After what seems like forever, he pulls it out of his pocket… and deletes the conversations.

Murphy lets out a chocked laugh. “Why?”

“Looks like you need a friend.” They smile.

“Even a crappy one like me?”

“You’re not crappy… I think you’re extraordinary… You’ve endured so much… You’re not perfect… but you’re someone worth knowing.”

Murphy nods with tears in his eyes.

Zev offers his hand.

“I’m Zevpher. I go by Zev. Would you like to be friends?”

Smiles. “I’d like that.”


End file.
